Drops of Memory
by Purple Pork Penguin
Summary: From Crateria to the B.S.L docking bay, the events of the Metroid series are told, each centered on a theme or idea. A collection of one-shots.
1. Errand

**These are some a collection of various one-shots, generally centered on one theme, from each of the games in the Metroid series.**

 **There isn't one on Metroid 2, which I never finished, and spin-offs aren't included as well.**

 **I'm also planning on writing a story set post-Fusion with a somewhat large cast with various abilities, and another story (not necessarily connected to the others) about Melissa Bergman surviving Other M.**

Ch. 1 Errand

To say that Samus's stay in Tourian was a walk down memory lane would be technically accurate.

Of course, Samus didn't recall life-sucking predators, space pirate bodies, or rinka turrets from her childhood, but they, too, were pieces of her past.

The luminescent green domes shattered into pieces of blue shrapnel as Samus cleared each room. Each step carried her towards completion of her mission, with the elimination of the Metroids, as well as their manipulator, being at hand.

Mother Brain had been crafted by the Chozo, as had the Metroids. Samus, too, with her Chozo enhancements and battle suit, was a part of their creative legacy.

All three had been designed for furthering peace in the galaxy. Mother Brain had been the center of the Chozo's network, only to turn vicious with jealousy and folly in whatever passed as her heart.

The Metroids were a tool turned against galactic society by the Pirates.

Samus was an instrument, an extension of the Galactic Federation. In this case, she was about to surgically remove Mother Brain.

Yet, Samus was a person with a goal. Where Mother Brain was jealous, she was content. Where Mother Brain was arrogant, Samus was working towards galactic peace.

As Samus approached Mother Brain's final line of defense, she knew she was heading to destroy one of the last remaining pieces of the Chozo's work.

Samus blasted open the hatchway. It was time to take out the trash.

* * *

The less heard moments:

Samus fired a missile at the organic pink tissue, only for it to bounce off.

"I don't remember that being the case…" Samus muttered, ignoring that this was _totally_ her _first_ battle with the brain.

After the battle had progressed some more, Samus stopped firing and just squatted in front of the eye.

It stayed open, and Samus stared at it quizzically.

A rinka brushed against Samus, knocking her into the lava. She leapt out, then glanced at the eye.

"You close it when I'm not in a position to fire?"

Mother Brain just fired a purple bolt of plasma, only for Samus to leap over it. Landing in front of Mother Brain, she yelled, "Peek-a-boo!"

On a bounty hunter's first mission, one is allowed to act a little immature.


	2. Drained

**It's time for Metroid Prime!**

 **I think it's just sublime**

 **When someone likes to rhyme!**

 **Relax, the story isn't all a poem.**

* * *

Ch. 2 Drained

It rained.

Samus had landed on the unfamiliar planet, exited her hatch, and it rained.

Without her powerful equipment, Samus felt ill-prepared to face Ridley. Making the situation even worse, the Space Pirates were here.

Still, it wasn't like she had crashed and was left without the basics of her power suit.

Samus looked at the sky once more, resulting in small drops landing on her visor.

* * *

When Meta Ridley fell, it was raining. Her nemesis had payed, and his attempts at stopping her from accessing the crater were futile.

As Samus entered the glowing portal, she wondered if the overworld would ever stop raining.

* * *

As Samus surveyed the destroyed site, she noticed the water collide with her hair. Paying it little mind, she lost herself in thought.

A distress call, from Space Pirates no less, had led her to this planet. Filled with remnants of the Chozo, both the inert and the active, it had also seen the corruption of the space pirates and the more subtle, eerie changes wrought by Phazon.

The Space Pirate operations and the corruption had been ended. The flames engulfing the platform evidenced that nicely enough.

Even still, the clouds poured.

Samus had viewed the lava rivers of Magmoor, the foul depths of the Pirates' mines, the crumbling remnants of the Chozo's city, the strange insides of the source of the Phazon, and the glistening canyons of Phendrana.

The one thing Samus would remember about the empty, full, vibrant, still world of Tallon IV, however, would be the rain.

* * *

The less heard moments:

Samus boosted straight into Ridley's vulnerable chestplate.

She bounced off, saw him fly away for another bombing run, and muttered about unfair retcons.

* * *

Scanning the console, Samus activate the mining laser. She went into morph ball, spun it towards the next section, and activated the laser again.

The pattern was so automatic, in fact, that she ended up activating the cannon when it was pointing right at her…


	3. Tide

**Part of the idea with this chapter is how Gorea is almost on a different level from all of the previous opponents in the series. The closest Samus has gotten to something like this is Metroid Prime, but throughout the game, Gorea is painted as this nearly invincible creature.**

 **Of course, if Metroid Prime Hunters' controls were better, I could say with a straight face that Gorea is a pushover...**

Ch.3 Tide

Samus had squared up against powerful opponents before, but this…

This was insane.

The beast which the Alimbics had sealed was freed before her eyes by her careless rivals. Within seconds, it had drained them, sprouted cannons, and found her as its next opponent.

As Samus battled it, she activated the nearby devices on the walls.

Finally, the creature's arms had been destroyed. Samus knew to dodge its tentacles, and while the monster was fast, Samus was faster.

When it began hurling the trocras at her, she thought of Thardus.

Gorea, however, wasn't Thardus. It wasn't any of the opponents she had faced before.

Even as her gunship informed of the telepathic broadcast, she poured glowing fire into Gorea's seal sphere. Bolts of Kanden's choice weapon burned into the orb.

How could Samus win? The Alimbics had made sure to post extensive warnings. Their entire civilization had been annihilated by the beast before her.

Still, its tools against Samus were limited. Telepathy was hardly unfamiliar to the girl raised by the Chozo. Telekinesis wasn't an issue, as her thoughts of Thardus revealed. The idea of her being unfamiliar with energy draining was ridiculous.

When the seal sphere finally seemed to break, Samus tensed.

Could this be it?

* * *

After her gunship had informed her of the anomaly below, Samus leaped down to find the Omega Cannon.

In a flare of gamma radiation, Gorea discovered that it could still be hurt.

Samus wondered if it could feel surprise.

Gorea had tricks, of course. Its teleportation allowed it to dodge. Its streams of energy fire were its primary offensive, and the homing orbs that phased through walls proved to be an issue.

Still, when the final shot had connected, Samus wondered if the battle could be over. A battle that had been going on ages ago, could this conflict have finally been ended?

* * *

As Samus flew far away from the Alimbic cluster, she considered the events that had concluded her journey there.

If she hadn't been present, would the Alimbic's dire predictions have come true? The hunters' folly had nearly set a terror upon galactic civilizations, the likes of which had been unmatched.

How much energy could such a creature have collected? Would the entire might of the Galactic Federation have been assimilated by the malicious force?

The Alimbics had been all too certain that to allow Gorea to remain free would have been catastrophic, and while Samus could certainly see why they had thought so, she realized something.

Their forces had been measured in certainties to them. They had thought themselves invincible. When this illusion had been dispelled, they thought Gorea to be impossible to vanquish.

It took someone willing to face what others deemed insurmountable. Such a person, determined to do the right thing, could be used to work good in situations filled with darkness.

This was the kind of person Samus wanted to be, and another step in that journey had just been taken.

* * *

The less heard moments:

"The secret to ultimate power lies in the Alimbic Cluster."

This was the message that Noxus, Weavel, Trace, Sylux, Spire, and Kanden heard inside their own minds.

"Also, I like pickles."

Rather, that was the first message projected into their minds, as random trivia was then spewed into the hunters' minds.

"Purple! That's the color of my imaginary pet garnet toad, which is an imaginary species I made up while being redundant, which is when I explain things more than I need to!"

"I used to think that eating penguins was okay. Then I got kicked out of the zoo!"

"Some people thought I needed glasses. I tried to perform Lasik surgery on myself. Now I don't need glasses; I need microscopes!"

"Silicon based lifeforms are very tasty. Somewhat crunchy though, they are, hmm hmm hmm!"

The last one disturbed Spire a little more than he'd like to admit.

It would appear that being locked in solitary confinement for over a thousand years tend to make one rather insane…or perhaps Gorea had stolen the life force of a space troll.

Still, that wasn't an excuse to misuse telepathic social media, now was it?


	4. Recover

**This one-shot is from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes**

 **This one-shot is from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes**

 **This one-shot is from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes**

 **I hope you get the joke!**

 **I hope you get- (story starts)**

Ch. 4 Recover

U-Mos was tired.

Not physically, of course. As the sentinel of the Luminoth, he had the power to try to protect the remnants of his race and the power of their planet. His capabilities allowed him considerable stamina as he waited in constant vigilance.

Still, his exhaustion remained. As he made his last stand, he still had hope, despite the imminent assault by the Ing. If they succeeded, Aether would be consumed by her shadowed twin, and the twenty-nine remaining Luminoth would be lost.

With this in mind, U-Mos prepared his defenses. He could telekinetically seal the entrance to the room, so that even the strongest of Ing weapons would have difficulty entering. Even then, their relentless forces could climb on the exterior of the temple, and U-Mos would have to deflect them all as the horde swarmed for their last barrier to the start of galactic conquest.

It was then that U-Mos recognized the skirmish taking place below. The warrior, clad in what U-Mos knew to be Chozo armor, battled with the Ing soldiers. Bolts of plasma burnt into the darklings, eventually causing them to burst apart from the force.

The largest of the crawling fauna attempted to attack the agile hunter, to no avail. Even as an Ing chose to claim the beast, the armor-clad warrior evaded its offenses while peppering it with her armament. Eventually, it too fell to her onslaught, providing her with the Luminoth's energy transfer module.

When the door to the energy controller opened, Luminoth waited off to the side. It did not take long for the hunter to notice him, and U-mos levitated slightly forward.

It was time to explain.

(Or, as Samus would put it, confession time!)

* * *

As the armor-clad visitor departed, U-Mos found that his exhaustion had abated.

U-Mos raised his arm, summoning the nearby moths, as he waited.

The sky turned an alarming shade of purple, reminding U-Mos of the all too fragile bastion he guarded still.

He looked up quickly, just as a beam radiating light met the central energy controller.

One step closer.

Since Samus's arrival, U-Mos had not encountered an Ing offensive like the one she had thwarted. He could keep the hatchway into the energy chamber sealed indefinitely with telekinesis, halting would-be intruders. He could deflect the energy weapons the darklings favored back into their hosts' forms. He could generate the light that those from the shadowed twin feared so. Yet, he found that these talents were unnecessary for what he had thought would be his final task. Thus, there was one quality he required now.

Patience.

* * *

When the suited warrior returned, it was with darker hues. Though the shape was not that of a Luminoth, he recognized the armor. Even as Samus made her way out of the chamber, already venturing forth towards her new objective, U-Mos wondered.

Could she succeed, where the previous bearer of that equipment had not?

Realizing that such pondering was filled with speculation, U-Mos settled to continue his vigil and wait.

* * *

Sanctuary's energy had joined that of Torvus, and U-mos found himself making preparations. When Samus entered, he was ready.

As she began glowing in a display of energetic brilliance, U-Mos stood silently, as he had before for so long. This time, the wait was not as intense, though it left him marveling all the same.

Clad as she was with the Luminoth's protection, U-Mos found himself realizing that the conclusion to the Luminoth's conflict was finally reaching fruition. He sensed that the confrontation to determine Aether's course was nearing.

Though this wait was not particularly long compared to those U-mos had experienced before, he felt each passing moment, each heartbeat, as having incredible potential.

He steadied his racing thoughts and closed his eyes.

They opened moments later.

Watchful as he was, he used the tools at his disposal to monitor the behavior and movements of his foes. He could display their fierce visages as a projection.

At least, he could if those he projected still existed.

U-Mos smiled.

* * *

As the champion of the Luminoth left their skies, U-mos heard the concerns of his people. The damage would not easily be fixed, both to their homes and to their people as a whole.

Despite the monumental task left before them, U-mos felt reenergized.

It would take time, and he would wait.

* * *

The less heard moments:

U-Mos heard the firing of a weapon from behind the door. When it did not open after a few seconds, he heard a further crescendo of heated pulses impact the impeding door.

When it finally opened, however, U-Mos felt somewhat concerned as an orange bolt soared through the air towards him. U-mos deflected the super missile, sending it careening past Samus into the wall behind her.

Behind her orange visor, Samus winced.

* * *

The confrontation had come. Samus and Dark Samus dueled under the collapsing skies.

A flurry of matter-antimatter bolts struck Dark Samus. Groaning, she retreated, entering her Phazon cocoon. Samus tapped the side of her visor, uncovering this new forms weaknesses.

She read the data, not paying much attention to the bolt of Phazon that appeared suspended nearby. She opened the full file, then decided to read through the other information she had gathered.

Finishing reading what could have passed for a disjointed novel, she shut off the scan visor and dodged the bolt of Phazon.

"I should really participate in a speed-reading contest," Samus murmured, even as her slower-thinking opponent prepared to shower Samus with the resources necessary to injure the blue figure.

Dark Samus really needed more tactical skill…


	5. Creeping

**I find it sort of ironic that the Galactic Federation in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has purer intentions than that from Metroid Fusion.**

 **Oops, spoiler!**

* * *

Ch. 5 Creeping

Corruption was in the Galactic Federation.

Admiral Dane was not naïve enough to think otherwise. He had seen men and women who held positions of power as they found that which they possessed fall apart when the truth got out.

When he went over the mission details for restoring the Aurora network, he found it amusing that the Federation could devise a cure for their precious organic network, yet they couldn't cure their other organic system.

As he explained the situation to the bounty hunters, he found himself observing them closely.

Gandrayda had quickly proven her immaturity with her antics. Despite this, Admiral Dane had seen her record. Gandrayda was no child, and he suspected she held some jealousy beneath her many facades.

Ghor's questions showed his quest for knowledge. His quick appraisal of the situation as inefficient showed something of an impulsive streak.

Impulsive, however, was more suited to Rundas. In contrast to his chilling abilities, his bravado was fiery.

As for Samus, she was somewhat of an enigma to Admiral Dane. Still, she held his respect, and he could tell beneath her silence she was paying acute attention.

Then the alarms sounded, and their harsh blaring just poisoned the quaint mood.

* * *

The Admiral had read the reports. Phazon had poisoned the bounty hunters, not to mention the nearby planets. It also coursed through the veins of their opponents.

Castor Dane was still somewhat leery of the P.E.D. devices. They had certainly demonstrated their use on Norion, but they still troubled him.

While the Aurora Unit briefed him on the work that was left to do for cleansing Phazon from Bryyo and Elysia, Admiral Dane wondered if this kind of corruption may not be as unfamiliar to him as he had thought.

* * *

Bryyo was cleansed, its leviathan destroyed.

Still, Admiral Dane was disturbed. News of Rundas's end had reached him, and he wondered what would befall the other hunters, as well as what had already occurred.

When news of Ghor's death reached him, he realized just how little the Galactic Federation understood about Phazon. He should have known when he learned of Dark Samus. It was both fire and poison, and they had been playing with it, thinking they wouldn't get burned.

He would have to exercise more caution.

* * *

The Space Pirates had played with fire too.

When the fleet arrived at their homeworld, the Admiral had insisted on going down himself. As the flying platform descended, he saw the glowing tendrils of the planet.

This planet, the soil beneath the Federation Marines' feet, was corrupted.

The Admiral studied Samus's suit even as he spoke. The blue shimmer around her suit was a shade all too familiar to the Admiral, but she was still herself. That much, the Admiral appreciated.

* * *

All twelve survived. Just like on the Olympus, Samus had managed to keep the men under his command secure.

More than that, she had stemmed the tide of the corruption.

Still, one task remained before them. They were to strike at the heart of this plague, even with the pirates seemingly defeated.

Admiral Dane felt odd to admit it, but he felt that they were dealing with a threat far more formidable than that of the Space Pirates.

"Corruption," he whispered. The very word seemed both utterly alien to him, and at the same time, far too clear.

* * *

The battle was not going well.

Enhanced as they were by Phazon, the Pirates' vessels dealt significant damage to the Federation's fleet.

All the more disconcerting was the blue backdrop. To think that Samus was on that orb of conspicuous power was unnerving, and the Admiral thought the background wasn't the most encouraging to his forces as they battled in unfamiliar space.

An officer gave him a status report, and the Admiral's thoughts became all business.

They were leaving. (Or as Samus would put it, time to go!)

* * *

Mission Complete.

As Samus left, Admiral Dane wondered if the mission could truly be described in such a way.

The objectives had all been met. The leviathans had been destroyed, and Phaaze had spectacularly exploded. Even the original mission of restoring the Aurora Units had gone well.

Despite these accomplishments, Admiral Dane felt ill at ease. Large casualties had been taken, though the Space Pirates had lost more. As for the hunters…

They had been lost to Corruption. Rundas had hunted Samus, Ghor had used his formidable intellect against the Federation, and Gandrayda had used her trickery to try and put an end to the Federation's efforts.

Corruption had indeed been purged from the Galactic Federation, but at a sharp cost.

Then again, Castor Dane wondered, when does Corruption not carry a price?

* * *

The less heard moments:

Admiral Dane glanced up at the minor security notice. There were no intruders that he was aware of, so what could it have been?

A glanced at the security footage provided the answer.

Samus had been chasing the practice target when a Marine walked into her path.

No Galactic Federation employees were harmed in the making of this scene.


	6. Ashes

**In this, I sort of try to describe what the developers might have been thinking about regarding Samus's condition in Metroid: Other M.**

 **Whether you thought it was a _Super_ game or not, these are just my thoughts for how the ending of Super Metroid ties in.**

Ch. 6 Ashes

Explosions were not novel concepts for Samus Aran.

Tourian had detonated in a fiery blaze, as had the Space Pirates' mothership. Frigate Orpheon had crashed onto Tallon IV, and the Impact Crater had combusted rapidly. The Oubliette had erupted in a brilliant nova. Phaaze had exploded spectacularly.

So had Zebes.

Samus had grown up on the planet. The Chozo had cared for her there, and she had learned to be a protector with her training on the planet.

It was on Zebes that Samus had completed her first mission. It was the first time she had defeated Ridley, the Metroids, and Mother Brain.

Zebes was also the final grave of Ridley and Mother Brain.

As for the Baby Metroid…

It had nearly killed her.

When Mother Brain had tried the same, it had saved her.

In doing so, it had died right above her faceplate…

Samus wasn't sure what to think at that moment.

Even now, as Samus's starship traversed the reaches of outer space, she wasn't sure what to think.

Ridley had taken the Baby to her old home, where the Space Pirates had reinvested.

Ridley had fallen by her blasts, as had the other generals.

Mother Brain, too, had succumbed. With her last ire towards Samus, she set off the planet's destructive mechanism.

Zebes, Samus's old home, had been reduced to ashes and dust. Debris and dirt was all that remained.

Samus's head pounded. The Baby's assault and Mother Brain's arsenal had taken their toll.

It was her heart, however, that felt raw and jagged.

Time to go, indeed.

* * *

Those less heard moments:

Samus used charge beam.

It's super effective!

Cubone used dive.

Samus used ice beam.

The attack missed!

Cubone fainted due to the damage from its burn!

Actually, Crocomire dissolved in a pile of bones in front of Samus's feet, but let's not get lost in the technicalities.

* * *

As the Dachoras and Etecoons fled the shattering planet, they ran into a conundrum. Only one pilot was needed.

The Dachora was a speeder, totally breaching proper driving protocol.

The Etecoons were too jumpy when behind the controls.

While we're mentioning Pokémon, we might as well claim that this story is getting a little too Lopunny…


	7. Stasis

**It's AnOther one-shot!**

Ch.7 Stasis

The distress call sent, the sabotage finished, Madeline Bergman found herself hiding in a secure room. As director of the facility, she had known of possible hiding places. The reinforced door would hopefully keep any unwanted visitors at bay.

"Director of the facility?" she murmured. "There's a different MB in control, now."

She buried her face into her knees, shuddering. She would be safe for some time, but eventually she would need to eat. Trying to find a safe meal, however, was hardly certain.

Of course, that point would be moot if Melissa found her first.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Madeline Bergman leaned against the wall and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

It was the scream that woke her.

Madeline was already awake, as she could hardly get much rest. Still, her fatigue meant that she felt only half-awake.

The sound of an unlocking door startled her. She glanced at the outside of her window but saw that the bay door was closed. It must have been the other side that was opening.

A few moments later, a piercing shriek echoed into her room. It set Madeline's nerves on edge, almost as if it were meant to agitate. The scream was abruptly cut off, and Madeline suspected that she knew what had happened. She shivered.

* * *

When the knocking came, Madeline freaked out.

For there to be someone at the door, some outside group had to have found the station. What would happen to her, now, she had no idea.

The woman outside seemed to be trying to calm her, but Madeline wouldn't listen. It would be far easier for Melissa to find her now, and those who had managed the Bottle Ship's project would not be pleased with Madeline.

When she opened the doors, she found herself wondering what she had done.

Then again, when wasn't she asking that same question?

* * *

The roaring of the Queen Metroid persisted longer than Madeline had thought. Evidently, it was having difficulty.

The automated warning was disconcerting too. If Melissa succeeded, the ship would be turned into an ironic tool against the Federation.

When the emergency brakes activated, then, Madeline felt quite surprised. She flew into the nearby wall and felt a headache.

Even as she felt her eyesight clear, a brilliant flare went off. The door to her room groaned and twisted under extreme pressure, leaving Madeline shocked.

Realizing she had little time, she made her way out of the room, saw the stranger, and ran.

Running seemed to be her main activity as of late, and she wasn't beginning to enjoy it.

* * *

The shove stunned Madeline. She felt the breath leave her lungs, and she found it hard to intake air, even when Samus had caught her.

Seeing the freezing bolt strike Melissa, Madeline's eyes widened. Her shock would have to be delayed, however, as Samus rushed her back towards the wall.

Madeline grasped the situation. Someone had just tried to shoot her, and these soldiers were all potential dangers.

Still, they were no match for a Queen Metroid, never mind Samus. Madeline was familiar with some of the hunter's adventures; how could she not, given the facility's source material?

When the Desbrachians came down, attacking those who had dared to provoke Melissa's ire, Madeline watched the room descend into chaos.

Samus kept the beasts at bay, even as the Federation Soldiers fell. She saw the hunter aiming for Melissa, and Madeline acted.

Feeling a pain in her chest that had little to do with her possibly cracked ribs, Madeline felt an increasing measure of guilt with the current situation. Knowing that Melissa could survive a freeze shot, she pulled the trigger with her unsteady hands.

Each of the following shots shattered Madeline's frozen heart.

* * *

"I was the insane one."

This could be a plea in court, but that was far from her mind.

The scientists, including Madeline, had chosen to mess with dangerous matters.

The scientists, including Madeline, had nearly undone Samus's work against the Space Pirates and the Metroids.

The scientists, excluding Madeline, had chosen to alter Melissa's programming.

The scientists, excluding Madeline, had perished.

Now Madeline would be the one to face the consequences.

Once again, it seemed she was waiting with uncertainty and dread staring her in the face.

Hearing the voice of the friendly soldier, as well as the sound of the display in front of Samus as she steered the Chozo vessel, Madeline recognized one crucial difference.

She didn't have to run away.

* * *

The less heard moments:

Samus fired several charged bolts of plasma at the Baristutes face before it went down.

She jumped on another, fired once, and watched it explode.

"Really?" she muttered. "If it's my weight that hurts them so much, I'm going to have to wear a light suit…"

* * *

Samus's arm cannon pulled back as Vorash crashed down upon the stone platform.

"I know fishers eat their catches, but that would be full of so much irony," Samus mentioned. "Fully of irony, and full of lava."

Portals opened.

Screw attack incinerated.

Repeat.

Portals opened.

Power bomb incinerated.

Repeat.

When Samus reached Phantoon, she felt amused by how much easier things were when she had the freedom to use her tools.

Still, she contemplated, "Why on earth won't the space jump work right?"

* * *

 **In the last part, I sort of poke fun at the game mechanics. I especially wish the beams, space jump, and speed booster were most like the 2-d games, but I digress.**


	8. Clean

**I hope this chapter doesn't seem too disjointed; I worked on it earlier, but never got around to finishing it until now.**

 **Still, I hoped the conclusion and the parts that were here before underwent sufficient Fusion!**

Ch. 8

When the breeding environments had been infested, Samus grew concerned.

This concern grew as she saw how swiftly the creatures reproduced.

The ability to grow unchecked was terrifying. If even one landed on a planet…

Samus shook her head. It was her job to ensure that would not happen.

The footsteps grew further, and Samus let out a small sigh.

The SA-X. With such formidable technology at its fingertips, it could take down any automated defenses the X could not infect. Tools which had aided Samus in tricky situations were shaping up to create an even more dangerous quagmire.

Grimacing, Samus left the room.

Her thoughts, however, did not leave her so quickly…

* * *

The station's countdown had been stopped, yet the computer's words tugged at Samus's attention.

For her to be the X's bane…

The Metroid DNA had given her a tremendous advantage, but Samus realized how fragile this situation was.

The parasites could withstand extreme heat and biting cold. Even power bombs only stunned them. The incident on SR388 drove home the point of how inadequate conventional force was.

Had the X succeeded, or if the SA-X cornered her, what would the Federation do?

* * *

Ten SA-X.

Time was no longer a surplus.

The idea that the Federation could capture an SA-X was laughable, really. A self-producing, incredibly durable army seemed impressive, but Samus saw what the Federation chose not to.

They were not dealing with something they could control.

It was the same story with the Federation. The Alimbic's ultimate power, Phazon, MB, the Zebesians, the Metroids: those in power thought they held the capabilities to control such things.

Even now, would they try to control Samus as another asset in their deluded plotting?

* * *

Complete vaporization of another planet. A galaxy rescued.

A reputation lost.

What was there for Samus to do? She had stopped a potential plague on civilization, but she doubted the Federation would spin the story that way.

Her eyes lowered to the small animals laying one the floor, and she glimpsed the purple eye of her computer. Her gaze drifted to the viewport, where thousands of stars lay, twinkling in the incredible vastness of space.

Perhaps some in the Galactic Federation would not be inclined towards leniency. They could bring out accusations and trumped up charges, while duplicitously withholding the information on their own insane schemes.

Perhaps another threat would work its way into the galactic spotlight, or behind the cosmic curtain something insidious would begin to grow.

Perhaps, but in Samus's heart, she still felt the radiant energy of daylight. She had done the right thing, and despite the views of some, or perhaps even many in the Galactic Federation, Samus had done what was right.

Thus, in a galaxy with bombs that blew apart planets and with ships that reached distant galaxies, Samus knew what truly mattered, and unlike space ships, reputations, AIs, animals, or even her suit, it was something that they couldn't take from her.

That's what defines the adventures of Samus Aran. Not her power suit, her Chozo powers, or her wildly successful career.

It's her diligence, her compassion, her hope, her patience, her consideration, her perseverance, her kindness, and her steadfast determination to do the right thing.

Right now, even as the Galactic Federation ships approach, accusations ready to flare, that's what Samus has, and in the end, it makes all the difference.

* * *

The less-heard moments…

The varia suit was acquired after a fairly convoluted battle with a surprise foe.

Smaus would no longer be frozen by the SA-X, or hunted by the blue-X. Nonetheless, what was impressed upon Samus's attention was that she could now eat ice cream.

Hey, if you were part Metroid, that might be one of your concerns too!


End file.
